1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mat apparatus for dispersing scent; and more particularly to an apparatus capable of housing a scented insert for dispersion of scent when the apparatus receives a force or is compressed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many patents address issues related to the dispersion of scent into a room, and in particular to the dispersion of scent by way of a scent dispersing apparatus in the form of a mat. The volatile fragrant oils in most of these patents require a heating element to evaporate the fragrance. In many cases, a blower is needed to disperse the scent into the room.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,444 to Brown discloses an intermittent time controlled vapor-dispensing device. This device has an open top container holding a quantity of a volatile paste-like material within the interior of the container, which material is intermittently dispensed in vapor form to the ambient atmosphere. An electric circuit controlled motor is intermittently energized at predetermined time intervals to rotate a fan in the device for specific time periods to direct currents of air onto the exposed surface of the paste. This transforms the paste into vapor that is discharged outwardly from the container. A portion of the device is defined by apertured walls that surround the container, with the apertures of sufficiently small size so that the container in the device is substantially concealed. The apertures serve the functions including permitting air to flow into the interior of the device through a first portion, and discharging vapors through a second portion of the apertures. As the fan operates the vapor from the paste material configures into a number of small streams and discharges outwardly through the second portion of the apertures and disperses into the ambient atmosphere. In order to vaporize and disperse the paste, an electrical current is passed through a heater and the fan must be driven. The vapor-dispensing device disclosed by the patent is not a mat. Furthermore, the dispensing device requires electrical connection for heating and driving a fan in order to facilitate the vaporization, streaming and dispersion of the scent particuli.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,059 to Spector discloses an aroma-generating lamp structure in which a pad of porous material impregnated with an aroma-producing liquid is disposed under a vent in a substantially enclosed housing. An electrical heating element placed in the housing acts to heat and expand the air confined therein to create a positive air pressure producing a pressure differential between the heated air and the atmosphere above the vent. As a consequence of which the heated air is driven through the pad to rapidly volatilize the liquid and exude an aromatic vapor through the vent into the atmosphere. This aroma-generating lamp is not a mat and relies on lamp heat to drive the aroma into the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,434 to Spector discloses an aroma-generating unit. The aroma-generating unit is adapted to periodically discharge bursts of aromatic vapor into the atmosphere, with non-aromatic intervals between the bursts. These non-aromatic intervals have duration sufficient to avoid desensitizing the olfactory response of those exposed to the unit. The unit includes a hollow case whose upper wall has a vent therein and whose sidewall has a slot to receive a replaceable cartridge provided with a porous mat impregnated with an aromatic liquid. When fully inserted, the cartridge is disposed below the vent and serves to define an air-confined chamber within the case. Disposed in this chamber is an electrical heater that is periodically energized by power pulses to heat and expand the confined air and to produce a positive pressure in the chamber forcing the heated air through the impregnated mat to rapidly volatilize the liquid. Bursts of aroma are produced and discharged into the atmosphere through the vent, and are separated by relatively long, non-aromatic intervals. The disclosed aroma-generating unit is not a mat and utilizes electrical heat to produce a positive pressure of the aroma vapor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,135 to McIntosh discloses a floor mat with disposable absorbent pad. The automobile floor mat comprises a jacket member having a throat opening in a free edge for receiving an insert sheet of absorbent material, such as cardboard. The top sheet of the jacket has openings for the passage of foreign matter, including spilled liquids. The insert sheet is disposed under the top sheet and retains foreign matter disposed thereon through the openings in the top sheet. The back surface of the insert is coated with a water resistant coating. After the insert sheet is soiled it can be removed and cleaned or replaced by a new sheet with the soiled sheet discarded. The insert sheet may be coated with a deodorizing liquid whereby to release a pleasant smelling scent especially when the floor mat is used in an automobile. The insert sheet is supposed to absorb liquids and to meet this functionality the cells in the sheet must be empty and therefore they cannot contain any significant reservoir of vaporizable scent. Furthermore, the automobile mat provided by the patent is not cushioned since the insert sheet is rigid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,148 to Pendergrass, Jr. discloses a device for selectively providing a multiplicity of aromas. The device may deliver one or more aromas at selected times and include a housing with a receptacle and an aroma delivery device detachably received in the receptacle. A reservoir contains a volatile aroma material and a diffusion rate-controlling structure which at least partially covers the reservoir to provide controlled release of the aroma. The aroma delivery device includes a carrier having a plurality of aroma-bearing elements that are selectively communicated with an air passageway for providing one or more aromas as desired. The device is especially useful for providing a realistic sensory experience in an interactive or non-interactive use, and may be used in such diverse settings as the entertainment industry, the educational training field or a medical arena. This multiplicity aroma device is not a mat and requires opening of diffusion controlling structure to release selected aroma.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,942 to Christensen discloses an aromatic fragrance generator. The aromatic fragrances generator is provided for supplying aromatic fragrances to the atmosphere. The fragrance generator employs a heating element in a container to heat a fragrance base material contained in a receptacle to supply a pleasant aroma to the atmosphere, primarily to eliminate bathroom and kitchen odors. The disclosed fragrance generator does not involve a mat capable of releasing scent upon subjection to force. Rather, the disclosed generator utilizes a heating element and a fragrance base material that needs to be heated in order to release fragrance into the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,209 to Parkes discloses a scented mat product and method for making the mat product. The patent discloses a low cost, high quality, durable mat product having a fragrance or scent incorporated in the backing material thereof. The backing has a polyvinyl chloride based composition so that the scent is evenly dispersed throughout the environment of the mat for an extended period of time. Also disclosed is a method for making the mat product by adding a scent or fragrance to the backing material used in the mat product prior to securing the backing material to a textile layer. The disclosed mat provides that the scent is retained in the backing layer and is always evaporating. As a result of constant evaporation the mat inherently has a limited usable lifetime as the scent is virtually exhausted and therefore has a short duration as a scented mat product.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,675 to Licciardo discloses aromatherapy mats for pets. The mattress, mat or bed for animals comprises a soft and comfortable mat which-contains aromatherapy herbs having volatile components which aid and enhance certain behaviors in cats and dogs when laid upon. The mat is constructed with layers of soft fiber filling material and herbs are arranged between the layers and an outer cover of the mat. The scent and volatile effects of the herbs are able to emerge through the layers of the filling material and be inhaled by the pet to render the desired behavior. The mat relies on volatile components from the herb to evaporate through the porous soft fiber layer and the quantity of volatile aroma in herbs is inherently small. Moreover, constant evaporation provides a very limited time for aroma release.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,031,967, 6,154,607 and 6,309,986 to Flashinski, et al. disclose mats for dispensing volatile materials. The multi-layered mats are for dispensing volatile vapors such as insecticides. One layer is a carrier layer impregnated with the volatile. It is secured to at least one metal layer. The metal layer spreads the heat from a heater, thereby minimizing hot spots. Additional layers may be provided to provide a further heat distribution or temperature step down. An air gap can be provided between two of the layers. The disclosed mat is a heated device requiring heating in order to release volatile vapors. The volatile vapors are not released merely by the exertion of force upon the mat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,752 to Demarest, et al. discloses an apparatus for volatilizing and dispensing a chemical into a room environment. An air quality modification apparatus for dispensing a volatile material, such as for scenting the air, controlling pests, allergen control, or the like, includes an electric motor having a rotor and a coil. When electric current is applied, the coil produces both heat and an electromagnetic field that causes rotation of the rotor. A source of the volatile material is located adjacent to the coil so as to be volatilized by the coil's heat. An impeller, attached to the rotor, moves air across the volatile material and blows the vapors away from the apparatus. Energy efficiency is provided by employing the electric motor coil as the source of heat to vaporize the volatile material. Also disclosed is a refill supply of a volatile material for use with such an air quality modification apparatus. This apparatus is not a mat and requires heating by passage of electrical current and a fan to drive the vapors into the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,560 to Flashinski, et al. discloses a two-stage dispensing mat. The two-stage mat is comprised of two materials varying either in thickness, thermal conductivity and/or porosity (and coated with like volatile material), or coated with volatile materials having different vaporization pressures. When the mat is heated, the two mats volatilize the fragrance at different rates providing for both an instant burst of volatile and then a sustained vaporization of volatile. Methods of using such mats are also disclosed. The disclosed mat requires heating to evaporate volatile fragrance from a two-stage mat which evaporates the fragrance at different rates.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,915 to Bartsch, et al. discloses a dispensing device for dispensing scents. The dispensing device dispenses scents into the environment and contains one or more scents or aromatic materials. The dispensing device includes housing and a removable, reusable/replayable, closed, multiple scent-containing article which is removably inserted into or onto the housing. The scent is released by unlocking a scent closure mechanism and once unlocked, it is constantly evaporating the fragrance. The disclosed dispensing device is not a mat and does not utilize the controlled release of scent through application of force upon a surface, but rather continuously dissipates scent once a closure mechanism is released.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,578 to Skalitzky, et al. discloses an apparatus for dispensing volatile materials. A dispenser with a lid laminate providing controlled release of a volatile material contained in a tray is disclosed. The lid includes a vapor impermeable, removable outer laminate and a vapor permeable inner layer covering an open side of the tray. The outer laminate includes layers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and aluminum foil removably adhered to the inner layer of biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP) by an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer. Bottom and sidewalls of the tray are constructed of a metal/polymer pressure-formed colored tray laminate impermeable to the vapors and volatile material. The tray has a peripheral lip with an outer surface of cast polypropylene to which the vapor permeable inner layer of the lid is heat-sealed. The vapor of fragrance is released continuously once the barrier is removed. The apparatus disclosed is not a mat.
There remains a need in the art for a cushioned mat, which reliably dispenses scent when stepped on without continuously releasing the fragrance, thereby providing long service life for a mat that is used on household floors mat or land vehicles.